New Dropcatching Software Solution

[Dale Hubbard]

After 6 months of intensive development, we are pleased to announce the release of our new catching script, written entirely from the ground up, in the C programming language. It is fully asynchronous and allows the use of 4/6 independent DAC/EPP connections, respectively. Where microseconds can be the difference between catching and missing a domain, we approached the design of this code from a “less is more” viewpoint, so much of the development time was spent working out how to make the core functions more streamlined and efficient rather than building in lots of extraneous “bells and whistles” that could detract from the script's performance.

We're releasing this as an alternative to our popular PHP-based DAC Hosting, which whilst also competitive (has caught multiple LLL.co.uk's and primes this year inc. WWT.co.uk), gives our clients the option of entering the dropcatching business with a one-off investment (as opposed to paying for a service with an ongoing monthly subscription) and the choice of where they want to locate their script.

Whilst the code is quite complex and extensive (circa 2000 lines of code inc. header files) it's extremely simple to use (for those of you interested in taking a peek at the code, you can checkout obfuscated versions of the code on request.

For the moderately technical, the code is invoked on the Linux command line, like so:

Usage: ./dac OPTIONS, where options are:

--ip LOCAL_IP = 0.0.0.0 Source local IP
--dac NUM = 4 Number of concurrent DAC connections
--epp NUM = 6 Number of concurrent EPP connections
--pw EPP_PASSWORD EPP Password
--account = 1296271 Nominet Domain account ID used for create request

A more simplified explanation of how to run the software is provided with the distribution.

Once invoked, the code runs as a process in the background and the management of the script (rate throttling and addition/removal of domains to/from the queue) is then handled via a Telnet session on port 4242. Again, simple instructions are supplied with the program.
The code is designed to run on Linux OS operating systems. Whilst it should run on any Linux flavour with the correct libraries installed, we're initially releasing compiled versions for the following distributions: CentOS, FreeBSD, RedHat and Fedora. If you're interested in compatibility for other distributions then please PM us and we'll do our best to accommodate you.

Whilst the software is Linux-based, it will run on a Windows server or workstation with the assistance of some type of virtualisation software, such as VirtualBox.

We're offering two purchase options for this program:

* Outright purchase of the compiled executable but locked for use with a single TAG. Price £2,000. For an additional £500 we'll host your script for you on our dedicated London-based server for a period of one year (latency to Nominet currently runs at around half a millisecond). We are only offering 25 slots on this server, so please get your order in now. Three have been sold prior to this release, so there are 22 slots remaining.

*Outright purchase of the compiled executable but with the ability to supply the TAG on the command line. This means that you could, in effect, start your own catching business. Multiple instances of the program could thus be run using different TAGs (note that this is NOT intended to circumvent Nominet's T&Cs). Price £7,500. This option includes 1 year's FREE hosting on our dedicated server.

If you want the source code then it's only available with option 2. and at an additional cost of £5,000 (£12,500 total) and this comes with a licence allowing you to modify the code for your own use (definitely NO resale rights for the code or the compiled binary executables – signed agreement required).
Given that a small amount of technical knowledge and comfort with Linux is required, we are giving away one year of regular PHP-based DAC hosting FREE with every purchase, so you've got the option of using our user-friendly web-based DAC hosting instead.

This offer represents a milestone in the history of .uk dropcatching. No non-trivial program like this has ever been made available before, and certainly not with the option of source code, in which all our secrets built from years of experience are revealed. Please note: This is NOT an enhancement of the PHP software that we currently run at DropSystem.co.uk – that remains a separate product and service.

Dale & Simon - DropSystem.co.uk